Hinged last for boots or shoes.



No. 792,277. PATENTED JUNE 13, 1905.

11. W. Moss s. HINGED LAST FOR BOOTS 0R SHOES.

APPLIOATION FILED APE-23,1904.

UNITED STATES Patented June 13, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY I/VILLIAM MOBBS, OF KETTERING, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MOBBS AND LEWIS, LIMITED, OF OARRINGTON FOUNDRY, KET- TERING, ENGLAND, A CORPORATION OF GREAT BRITAIN.

HINGED LAST FOR- BOOTS on SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,277, dated June 13, 1905.

Application filed April 23, 1904. Serial No. 204,523.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY WVILLIAM MoBBs, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Carrington Foundry, Kettering, in the county of Northampton, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hinged Lasts for Boots or Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 illustrate in two positions my improved making-last, which forms the subject-matter of the present application.

Hinged lasts in wood for use as finishinglasts in the manufacture of boots and shoes are now well known in the trade; but hitherto they have not been generally used for making-lasts, owing to the difficulties which have arisen in producing a rigid last, rigidity being essential in a making-last. The ordinary last suitable for finishing would be utterly useless for making on, because a rigid last is an absolute necessity for the latter purpose.

It is very essential to a proper understanding of this invention that the difference between a making-last and a finishing-last should be appreciated and that though a making-last might be used for finishing a finishing-last could not be used for making, because of its want of rigidity.

Now the object of this invention is to provide in a simple and economical manner a perfectly-rigid last which will not fail in practical use.

An arrangement for making a rigid wood last is described in the United States Patents Nos. 729,192 and 7 29,379, which arrangement acts perfectly for the larger sizes of boots and shoes; but the cost of manufacture is prohibitive and interferes with the sale. A boot manufacturer requires a large stock of lasts in his business, and the cost of a last is a consideration to him. Moreover, the arrangement described is not altogether suitable for the smaller sizes of boots and shoes, as too much of the wood has to be cut away, and the last becomes thereby unduly weakened.

The need in the trade for a last of the nature indicated is acknowledged; but up to the present nothing has been provided or suggested which will entirely meet the requirements. It has therefore become necessary to invent a last having greater simplicity and cheapness in order to meet the acknowledged requirements of the trade and the means of manufacturers and which is suitable for smaller sizes. For this purpose the last shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings has been invented and will now be described.

Instead of being cut in two parts by means of straight cuts, as heretofore, the division is made with a curved cut, as shown at (Z. The piece 6, which is to be removed, is cut on one side to the same curve (Z and on the other side with another curve, as shown at f, and the smaller end of the piece is flattened, as at 9, this piece being technically known as the wedge e. The hinge instead of being placed at the apex of the wedge or at the intersection of the two straight sides is arranged longitudinally of the last and is pivoted forward of the point 0 at 71., as shown in the drawings of United States Patents Nos. 729,192 and 729,37 9, before mentioned.

For the purpose of this invention-that is to say, to produce a rigid lastthe wedgepiece 6, which is cut from the last, is when the last is opened out replaced in the space from which it has been removed. It has been found that the employment of a wedge with straight sides is entirely useless for the purpose of making a rigid hinged last, because the pressure exerted in lasting tends to drive out the straight-sided wedge and should there be a retaining-bolt strains the bolt.

From the shape of the wedge c it will be seen that when inserted between the foot and the heel parts a b any pressure applied on the last will only cause these two parts to grip it the tighter, the position of the hinge-pivot h assisting greatly to this end. It will also be seen that there will be no strain on the bolt j, which is employed to insure the rigidity of the last, by preventing the wedge e from falling out of its own weight when the last is inverted.

The wedge 6 may be slightly rounded off on both sides, as indicated at 76, to remove projecting corners or angles which are liable.

to catch on the edges of the sides of the shoe and. interfere with the easy insertion of the Wedge. To withdraw the wedge, it is only necessary to pull with an upward movement on the cord Z and wedge will come away readily, so that the last may then be contracted to permit of the exit from the shoe or for insertion therein, as the case may be.

That I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A last comprising foot and heel pieces hinged together to the front of the divisionline between the pieces, the said pieces having diverging concave walls above the hinge and a wedge having convex sides fitted to snugly engage the concave Walls of the foot and heel pieces.

2. A last comprising foot and heel pieces hinged together having diverging concave walls above the hinge, a Wedge having convex sides fitted to snugly engage the concave walls of the foot and heel pieces and a locking-bolt carried by the wedge arranged to engage the foot-piece for securing the wedge in position between the pieces against unintentional removal.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of April, 1904.

HARRY WILLIAM MOBBS.

W'itnesses:

FRANK WVooDFoRD, RALPH W. GARDNER. 

